This invention relates generally to a mixing apparatus and particularly to an apparatus which includes venturi device for incorporating powders and high viscosity liquids into liquids having less viscosity.
It is of course recognized that applying the venturi principle to devices for mixing different fluid materials is not in itself new, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 2,331,518 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,785,012. However, the conventional method of mixing powders, such as chocolate powders, into liquids such as milk is by gravity. Essentially, the powder is fed by gravity from a hopper into an open entry of a line circulating between ingress and egress points of a vat. This method presents a dust problem of considerable magnitude. In addition to these problems, such systems frequently suffer from the problem of powder build-up in the line, and because the pumps used are usually of the low pressure type, it takes several hours to mix, for example, three drums (165 pounds) of chocolate powder into a 2500 gal. vat of milk. Systems using high pressure pumps are known in which a "push-pull" system pump arrangement is utilized. Such systems have high energy consumption and one known system requires a 10HP pump on the "push" side of the hopper and a 3HP pump on the "pull" or discharge side of the hopper.
The present system solves these and other problems in a manner not disclosed in the known prior art.